


A Study in Spike

by CanonUnknown



Category: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
Genre: Cute, Fluff, Hedgehog John, Johnhog, Johnlock - Freeform, M/M, Otter Sherlock, Otterlock, WIP, otter!lock
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-19
Updated: 2020-07-24
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:46:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,144
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25384039
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CanonUnknown/pseuds/CanonUnknown
Summary: After a long winter's hibernation, John the hedgehog meets a mysterious creature on his way to find food.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------This is a work in progress. Otterlock isn't everyone's cup of tea but it's cute and fluffy and other characters will be added in the future. I suppose this is a test to see if anyone wants to see this ^^
Relationships: Sherlock Holmes & John Watson, Sherlock Holmes/John Watson
Comments: 6
Kudos: 23





	1. Who Goes There?

Waking up after hibernation was always slow going. Getting his little legs moving was hard enough, never mind hunting beetles. John’s eyes slowly opened, only to be blinded by the sun shining into his bush. A soft sigh fell from his lips as he climbed out of the foliage into the world. His bush was far from impressive. It was easy to get in to, cold and damp. He wished he had a better home.

The first thing on his mind was food. Now, most hedgehogs are nocturnal, not John. He found that he could be much more productive during the day. He scuttled quite far from his bush in search for some beetles, that was when he heard some mumbling from a tree stump. This made the hog’s curiosity spike. Slowly, he approached the opening in the stump and poked his head inside, only to see a tall creature with a long tail inside.

The creature had fur that looked damp and it was turned away from him, although thin whiskers could be seen either side of this face. John hadn’t seen anything like this before in his life. Deciding he didn’t want to put himself in danger, the small hog turned around, only to step on a small dry leaf, creating an audible crunch. 

“...You there, what are you doing in my stump...And what exactly are you.” The animal spoke slowly, cautiously. John slowly turned and thought of what to do with a twitch of his nose. “I am John, I’m a hedgehog. I heard a noise and I came to see what it was. What are you?” After a small step back, the hog pushed his quills out a little further to try and appear more threatening, whether or not it worked was a different kettle of fish entirely. 

“I’m Sherlock, an otter. I moved away from my old home and I found this stump a little while ago. It was the perfect place for me to do my work. I haven’t seen you around before, are you new here too?” An otter, strange. Sherlock looked like he would be good at swimming, he would have to ask about that. 

“No, I’m not new here. Hedgehogs hibernate through the winter, I sleep through it as it is harder to find food. I’ve just woken up actually.” John spoke slowly, still nervous about the whole situation, Sherlock was much larger than him after all. A grin spread across the otters face as he approached John and sniffed him, causing the poor hog to curl up into a spiked ball in fear. “Ow! You hurt my nose!” The taller creature moved back, away from John.

“Yes, well you frightened me! I have these quills for a reason.” His small snout slowly poked out from the ball and he opened his eyes to check where Sherlock was.

“I didn’t mean to startle you...can I come with you to find food?”

“...Let’s go.”


	2. Foul Play

Their short walk along the riverside was peaceful, quiet even. Neither of the creatures spoke to each other but the atmosphere was nice. It had been a long time since John had spent time with another animal, he usually just stook to himself, but Sherlock looked like he genuinely wanted to be there and it just made his little heart flutter.

“I think I’m going to catch some fish. I haven’t eaten in a little while. Do you eat fish?” The lanky otter was still trying to learn as much as he could about the prickly little creature that had made his way into his life. The hedgehog didn’t look like he would be able to swim as his legs were quite short and stubby but the otter was willing to be surprised. He got closer to the water’s edge before gliding effortlessly into the cool water. After appearing back on the surface, his nose twitched when he smelled something...familiar. 

“Oh no, I couldn’t possibly swim. I would probably float but with these legs, I wouldn’t be able to get anywhere. I think I’ll have a look around that bush to find some bugs.” The cheery little hog watched in amazement as Sherlock swam, always being curious about what it would be like to swim but he was too afraid to try. He watched the otter for a little bit before turning towards a nearby bush that must surely house some grubs that he could eat. 

John had barely taken a few steps before a large auburn barn owl landed in front of him. The poor hedgehog received the freight of his life as he yelped and curled up into another spiked ball. He did not want to be carried away by this creature. The large bird tilted his head in confusion before tutting. “No need to be afraid, I’m here for Sherlock, not you. Whoever you are.”

Sherlock scampered over and stood between John and the owl. “Mycroft? What are you doing here? When I left home, I wanted to be left alone. And you’ve scared the life out of my new friend...This is John, he’s a hedgehog.”

“Sh-sh-sherlock?! Why is there an owl here and why does he know you?” The hog was still tightly curled up, not trusting that if he were to let his guard down, he wouldn’t be eaten.

“He knows me because I practically raised him. I found him as a small pup, gave him food and saw to it that he was okay. He started to call me his brother, silly, really. Sherlock, Gregory needs your help on a case. There have been several murders in our community and we have reason to believe they are linked.”

The otter frowned a little, his paws fidgeting at his sides as he thought about helping in solving the case. “I told you that I wasn’t going to go back there...But I suppose I will have to, won’t I? Oh, John, you will come with me, won’t you? I promise that it isn’t too far, I’ll carry you if you would like. Or Mycroft could.”

Finally, John uncurled and looked at both of them. “Case? Murder? Carry me?” The small hog sighed in defeat. “Fine, I will come with you but I know that I will just get in the way. And I would rather you carry me...That owl looks hungry.” The hedgehog frowned at Mycroft and Mycroft tutted back.

“It’s settled then! You’re going to help me solve a murder!” Sherlock picked John up with his mouth by the scruff of his neck, like a mother carrying her pups. Like this, the otter would be able to run without having to wait for the hog to catch up to them. As they ran, the auburn owl flew overhead and made sure to keep an eye on the two as he did.


End file.
